Accident victim readmitted. Who’s to blame?

Damion Flowers

A primary school student has been re-admitted to the hospital following a traffic accident in Santa Elena, Cayo. The five year old was prematurely released from the K.H.M.H. and had to be rushed to another hospital when his condition worsened. That aside, the family of Damion Flowers says they are in need of assistance but that the driver of the vehicle is falling short. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

An infant one student of the Santa Elena Primary School has months of recovery ahead of him following an accident last Thursday. Five year old Damion Flowers was knocked down as he crossed a pedestrian ramp … with other relatives. Business owner, Ethlin Robateau witnessed the accident and says the driver was not paying attention.

Ethlin Robateau, Witnessed Accident

Ethlin Robateau

“An orange color Tacoma was coming but the lady was on the phone, talking on the phone. And the little boy and the rest of children were going but the little boy was ahead and the vehicle come and hit him. Me and two other persons were here sitting and when the vehicle come and hit the little boy we start to holla and tell di person stop, stop, stop. But she could not hear us because she was interested in the phone and kept driving. Two times ih run over di kid, the front wheel and di back wheel.”

Robateau says the incident would have been a hit and run if they hadn’t stopped the vehicle. Meanwhile, Damion’s aunt, Locett Vanegas says the driver tried to lie about the accident, but her story fell apart once the child was taken to hospital.

Locett Vanegas, Aunt of Damion Flowers

“A young lady from nowhere, she didn’t know the little boy or anything and she came and picked him up. His little sister was with him and my daughters also and they told the young lady where we live and they took him up there. I don’t know what happened between the young lady and the driver before they reached us, but when they reached us, they say that driver didn’t knock down the little boy, he just fell and got frightened and he stool himself. We rushed him to the Loma Luz Hospital and the doctors tek x-ray, ultrasound and so forth and they told us he had a broken pelvis, a fractured rib and fractured knee. The doctors told us they were sending us to Belize City. When we reached Belize City, that’s about five-thirty in the ambulance, they admit him and the doctor attend to him and so forth. They tek the ultrasound and still didn’t tell us what happened to the little boy, only about the pelvis, the ribs and the knee. So he stayed in there Thursday night and Friday night. Saturday they send us home.”

Locett Vanegas

While Damion was discharged from the K.H.M.H., he was far from okay and by Monday, he had to be rushed to the Belmopan Hospital.

Locett Vanegas

“When we reached home the Monday he started bleeding again because he cannot urine. So my sister rush ah dah Mr. Godoy, the doctor, and he brought him here. When we reach here they told us that he needs an emergency cut [operation] because he has internal bleeding and his urine bag burst. Belize hospital didn’t tell us nothing like so if it wasn’t for this hospital, he would have been dead by now.”

And according to Vanegas, they have gotten little help from the driver responsible for her nephew’s condition.

Locett Vanegas

“When we call ah last night fi compensate we because I got kids, my sista got more kids and only me and she and my bredda live dah Cayo so we have to care ah one another. But when we come yah fi help my sista out here, dehn noh have nobody fi watch fi we kids because fi he wife got four and sick too so she can’t handle all ah dehn cause I have three, my sister have two more; one year and a half. And we tell di young lady all ah dat, she seh she noh business about dat, dats what family is there for. We want justice because we want—the doctor tell us he noh even sure if di lee bwai wah walk again and den he have dis urine bag eena he and he have to live wid dat at least six months. Di lady tell we only di medical bill she could pay fa, weh happen to di rest ah bills? We have to up and down pan di bus, weh happen to dat? We have to pay di people weh have to come give he blood, all of dat stuff. Even when she call, ih noh even ask how di lee bwai di do and worst part of it is dat when seh took the next young lady to our house, she told—di other young lady said that she thought it was a dog that she knocked down.”

Ethlin Robateau

“This area dah busy area and they should respect the pedestrian ramp and respect di hours weh di children come out. But dehn noh respect it. No driver, even dah night dehn noh respect it.”

With all the time spent at the hospital, the family has reported the accident, but has not yet given a full police statement. Delahnie Bain for News Five.

The family is not still uncertain about how long Damion will remain hospitalized.

Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

9 Responses for “Accident victim readmitted. Who’s to blame?”

This is so sad. Drivers need to be more cautios especially around school break time. In Cayo i have not really seen traffic officers as compared to the city.I just hope this little boy will be able to walk and get better soon.

Hope this young person makes it out good. As for the driver, she should be charged and sent to jail. Take off here license for good. Because regardless if it was dog she had knocked down it was because of carelessness and negligence. It is a pedestrian crossing. So you have to slow down and maybe come to a complete stop just to make sure no one is attempting to cross. Moreover it is straight road so you can see from about 200 meters either way if children or people are standing close to the ramp. And to the family while medical bills and expenses will be adding up, don’t expect this person to cover everything just like that. Do what you can for this child. Go to Shell San Ignacio and get a form for a civil suit claim. About $2.50 and submit it up at the Magistrate Court.

you know what i think, all schools should get a traffic officer to be there at that time of the hour LUNCH TIME AND IN THE EVENING.
limit the extend of cars to pass that area. since money is everything whosoever dont abid by the rule charge them .
what i notice from sacred heart school they put up rams and still the drivers do not respect it. Then when accident happen they wantto blame the warden. I have observed how cars stop come out of their vechiles and move the rams why !
I applaued the wardens, at sacred heart school for doing such a good job dedicating to their job even thou many people may dislike them for being strick!

every motor vehicle by law must have third party insurance that covers up to 10 thousand belize dollars for medical expense in case of an accident. the insurance companies are getting away all the time and they are laughing all the way to the bank.

I think journalist should take there job very seriously rather than just making headline news should conduct proper investigative journalism. so far no name has been given for the driver of the accident. Why? I personally think channel 5 should re-air and conduct and follow up a proper investigation to inform its viewer. This thing should not be happening here in Belize. If you are WRONG regardless who you are? You are WRONG and should be dealt to the fullest extend of the law. I make a call to the leader of the opposition and to the prime minster to take this case in public interest.